Manufacturers of disposable products such as cups, plates and utensils are continuously seeking ways to improve the quality of their products to enhance consumer satisfaction. In achieving this goal, however, the manufacturers endeavor to simplify the manufacturing process to reduce overall costs. To remain competitive in the marketplace, manufacturers must be creative and ambitious to make a product that appeals to a broad spectrum of consumers.
In the past, disposable products such as cups and plates were mainly manufactured from paper which provided a low cost product that was not only disposable but recyclable. The disadvantages of using a paper product however, arise when they are used to hold liquid substances. For example, if one used a paper cup to hold six ounces of water, the paper would eventually soften and become unstable. Consequently, this design proved not to be desirable by those who needed a more sturdy and durable product. To overcome the deficiencies of plain paper, manufacturers began to use wax laminated onto paper to decrease the permeability of the disposable paper product. This process, however, does not overcome the durability problem associated with paper products. Consumers could very easily deform paper cups, thus, rendering them unusable and consequently, undesirable to consumers.
Manufacturers of disposable products realized the advantages of plastics which can be molded into virtually any shape such as disposable containers and utensils. Containers and utensils manufactured from plastic can be formed to give the appearance of glass which is desirable to consumers. In order to obtain the image of glass, the plastic must be made from a translucent material to allow the passage of light. A pigment may be added to yield a variety of decorative colors. Plastic containers and utensils currently on the market which comprise the translucent characteristics discussed above suffer from being easily scratched due to the softness of the plastic material used. These scratches become visible to the naked eye and detract from the appearance of the product. Consequently, the product loses its decorative appeal and consumer satisfaction declines.
In view of the existing disposable containers and utensils available on the market today, as discussed above, the inventor has recognized the need for a disposable plastic product that provides the decorative appeal of glass, however, does not visibly show scratches or scuff marks on its surface. Moreover, the inventor recognizes that to stay competitive in the marketplace, a process which uses existing tooling and manufacturing materials should be implemented to make the disposable plastic product cost effective.